"So they haven't made any demands, just tearing things apart?"
"By the looks of it."
Aeley sighed, staring at the sky as she tried to make sense from the chaos. It was a puzzle. She hated puzzles. Demands or someone staking a claim and calling her out were more easily resolved. At least then, she would have a name and could form a plan of attack.
"We can't keep doing this, Aeley. Attacking a stranger on the road was one thing, but now they're coming into our villages." Dreca waved his hand towards the villagers crowded around the rubble. "We're worried they're going to start coming into our homes. Who knows what they'll do. They've already hurt people. What stops them from hurting anyone else?" He jabbed a finger at her. "You need to do something. Anything."
"I know. I'm just as worried." Aeley huffed and brushed back her hair, the greasy, blonde tangles needing a wash. It'll have to wait. I need to go home, think about this. She glanced at Lira. Maybe she'll have some good ideas. "I'll work on it."
When Dreca gave her a skeptical glare, she threw up her hands. "I will. Honestly. I'll just… I don't know. I'll think of something useful. For now, tell people I'm going to figure this out and to stay safe. Stay inside and don't stay alone. And don't be out at night. I'll send my guards down, and get Mayr to round up a few soldiers to stand watch, too. Eyes at night and patrols might deter whoever's doing this. Either way, we'll catch them."
"Is that a promise?" Dreca asked.
"I put Allon where he deserved. I intend to do the same here." She squeezed his arm. "We'll get this figured out and when we do, they'll pay for every moment."
*~*~*
Aeley fell into her chair with a sigh, its back pressing into her neck and relieving the pressure around her spine. Hanging her legs over the edge of her desk, she closed her eyes and pushed away the sound of Dreca's voice in her mind. Even Kayte's harsh voice and the widow's wails disappeared into the darkness seeping in between her thoughts. Silence was a blessing. For the first time in days, she relaxed.
"Should I leave you and your chair alone?"
Opening one eye, Aeley peered at Lira, curled up in the chair beside the window. If it were anyone else, she would have been annoyed. "Why? Are you jealous?"
Lira smiled, the dark circles around her eyes suggesting she had not slept well. "Only if you're doing things you should be doing to me."
Aeley choked. She stomped the floor and coughed, trying not to laugh and make it worse. There was no mistaking the invitation in Lira's words this time.
Past the noise filling her ears, she recognized the sound of a knock on the door. "Come in!" she hollered, her voice hoarse. When the door opened, she tried not to laugh at Lira's giggles. Mayr entered, followed by Haydin.
"What now?" She groaned and eyed the parchment in Haydin's hands.
"You might want to read them." Mayr nodded, his tight expression making her wonder what she was missing.
Haydin laid the notes on the desk. "They came while you were gone. One yesterday and one this morning—"
"After the fire," Mayr clarified.
Aeley perched on the end of her chair. "What? Haydin, who delivered them?"
"A young man," Haydin answered with a shrug.
"Did you know him? Do we know him?"
Haydin shook his head. "He was not a talkative fellow. I took the letters and he went off."
Fantastic, Aeley thought. She ripped open the letters and laid them side by side. Different people penned them, though they were similar. Both contained one-sentence threats in black ink, saying the recent attacks were only the beginning and she should make wise decisions. They sounded like something Allon would compose. Was he even allowed to send letters from his prison?
Maybe Dreca's right. Maybe he has friends who are trying to get back at me for what I did. He never seemed the 'friend' type, but maybe I was wrong. He's not the only idiot in the world.
"So?" Mayr asked. "Do I get to crack heads?" When Aeley did not answer, he leaned against her desk and tried to read the letters upside down. "They're not signed."
"They're also not very nice." She crumpled the letters. The next step was clear. "I'm going to the quarry. I need to see Allon."
Mayr fell back, his jaw dropping. "You're joking. Or you're crazy. Probably a bit of both. We're done with him, remember?"
"I thought I was. I want to be." Aeley threw the balled parchment at the wall. "Except these are all wrong. I can't be sure of what they are until I find out what he knows. If he's involved…" She cleared her throat and jumped up. "You can either approve or not. Either way, I'm going."
"Well, I'm not going with you this time," Mayr stated. "Someone needs to be here to keep an eye on things. You want me to talk to the men and make assignments. You're on your own."
Lira cleared her throat.
Aeley's understood the hint. "That suits me fine. You'll be exactly where you need to be. But I won't be going alone."
"Carriage or horses?" Haydin asked.
From the corner of her eye, Aeley saw Lira slide forward in her chair and wave her hand. She flicked her glance to see Lira mouth the word, "Carriage", before returning her attention to Haydin.
"The carriage will be fine, but tell the driver we don't have all day. I don't want to be there any longer than I need to be."
*~*~*
Every bump and hole the carriage wheels encountered brought them closer. Aeley's teeth grazed Lira's skin more than once. Normally the long ride was tedious, a necessary annoyance as Steward. Lost in Lira's scent and the sweet taste of her lips, Aeley did not notice, reminded only when she glimpsed through the window.
"Wait," Lira whispered. She shuffled down the seat, her head sliding further down into the corner. The waist of her disheveled gown pulled higher. Her hair tumbled over the edge of the cushion, the ends dusting the floor near her jeweled comb, discarded soon after the carriage left the estate. Ready to continue, she tugged on Aeley's belt.
Aeley grinned and shifted her knee, pinning Lira's skirt. She rammed the ball of her other foot into the corner of the door behind her. Pushing against the frame and ignoring the creaking of the wood, she leaned over Lira to kiss her again. The carriage jostled over another dip in the road and she slapped the wall with one hand to keep steady. In some ways, the small space did not encourage intimacy. Her foot felt numb and there wasn't enough space to lie properly, even though Lira's raised knee knocking her hip made her fantasize about the positions they could explore.
Lira pulled her head back to glance out the window, exposing her neck. It was a good target, Aeley figured, drawing her lips down Lira's cheek to her throat.
"We should be getting there soon," Lira murmured.
Aeley nipped the base of Lira's neck. How long would it take for bruises to form? At least Lira had her shawl, lying in a heap on the floor. She could hide any marks from curious guards.
"We should talk about how this is going to happen," Lira continued. With one elbow digging into the cushion, she propped herself up.
Lira's chin almost hit Aeley's face. Grunting, Aeley pulled away and wiped her lips. "If you wanted me to stop, you could've just asked. No need to bring him into it."
"Who said I wanted you to stop? I just said we needed to have a plan." Lira pushed up and pulled her skirt out slowly from under Aeley's knee. Leaning into the corner, she tried to straighten the rumpled gown, tugging it back into place before jamming her comb into her hair. "We didn't really talk before we left. It would help to know what you're after."
Aeley slipped across the divide to sit on the other cushion. She picked up the shawl and tossed it beside Lira. The sunlight illuminated the faint marks Aeley had left on Lira's skin. Lira had never told her to stop, her moans a driving force to continue. Even with everything covered, it seemed like her modesty was slipping away.
Lira continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer. "I want him to be sorry," Aeley mumbled.
"You're never going to get that." Lira draped the shawl over her
lap and wound the frayed ends around her fingers. "He doesn't think he's wrong."
Aeley snapped her head towards Lira and raised one brow. "So you've met him, then?"
"No."
"Sounds like you have."
Lira shrugged and gazed at the carriage floor. "I know enough men like him to know exactly how he is. His actions say everything."
Do you know that raises more questions than answers? Aeley shifted in her seat. Should she bother asking to hear more? She probably won't answer anyway. Deflect the conversation like she always does.
"How do you want me to handle him?"
Aeley blinked at the question. "What?"
"How do you want me to play this? Silent or mouthy? You brought me along, so I'm going to assume you want me in there with you. If he starts to talk to me, what do you want me to do?"
What, other than let me punch him in the face?
"Ignore him. He likes attention," Aeley answered. She could imagine how Allon would take any other reaction. It was bad enough he would think she brought Lira to him as a gift or as a means to taunt him. Why had she not considered how he would see it before agreeing to Lira's company? "Actually, maybe you should just stay out of the room when I'm with him."
"What? Why?"
"He'll be a complete ass if he sees you."
"You don't think I can handle him? He's in a prison with guards, who probably want to break his neck. And you've met my brothers. His pride can say no worse."
"And here I thought maybe I should teach you something about defending yourself." Aeley started to laugh, but caught herself. It was not as funny as it sounded in her head. "But I thought you wanted to join me for the ride and what we were doing. Why are you suddenly obsessed with him?"
"I'm not obsessed, I'm curious. There's a difference," Lira argued with a scowl. "You don't want to talk about him. So, naturally, it's exactly what I want to hear. You believe he'd be better off dead. It can't be easy to keep all that anger locked up."
Lira leaned forward, her pinched expression relaxing when she laid her hand on Aeley's knee. "Besides, do you want a relationship or just someone to sleep with? Talking is the difference between the two."
"So you want to hear how much I hate him?"
"If it helps." Lira pressed against the side of the carriage. "But not right now. We're here."
Aeley breathed in. This isn't any different than the Council meeting. Get in, do what I came to do, get out. It really doesn't need to be any more complicated.
The carriage stopped, the wheels grinding the fragile, black stones covering the ground. Without waiting for the driver, Aeley opened the door and jumped down, her boots crushing the stones into shards with high-pitched tones as if they were glass. They were almost as sharp. Behind her, the black stones stretched out and around the quarry pits like a moat, a deterrent to prisoners who thought they could escape in thin soles or none at all.
Cupping her hand over her eyes, Aeley stared into the distance. Trees were sparse and the land was mostly barren, a red landscape spotted with small yellow and green plants, unlike the ferns found in the rest of the republic. Even the sunlight felt hotter, and Aeley could feel heat rising up from the black stones. Was it any coincidence the strongest stones and the most coveted jewels came from here?
The carriage rocked as Lira hopped down. "Absolutely miserable," she muttered. Fanning herself, she draped her shawl over her arm and glanced at the barracks.
"Exactly." Aeley slammed the door closed. She looked past the barracks to the metal-and-wood fences. On the other side, the earth dipped low, disappearing into a void. Guards wearing thin breastplates and bracers over simple, dusty tunics walked the perimeter, each wearing a sword on their back. A few of the men carried spears, their gazes directed downwards. Among them, a young man weaved in and out with a bucket, offering what she suspected was water. The way he skipped along made her think he was pleased with his work. All the prisoners must be below, she realized. I wouldn't think he'd be so happy if they were close.
"Are you ready?" Lira asked.
With a tug on Lira, Aeley started towards the long, grey building between them and the barracks. Two guards in leather armour greeted them as they walked through the arched entrance and iron gates.
They stopped in the receiving hall, not much bigger than Aeley's study. Before them stood four bronze statues with crowns of small, yellow leaves and green stones for irises, staring at the door as if judging whomever walked in. The two statues in the middle held staves crossed between them. In their free hands, one held a balanced set of scales while the other held a shield. Navara and Hastal, Goddesses of Justice and Protection.
Unable to bear the stern look of the statues, Aeley gazed at the low ceiling. They had always unnerved her, though she never understood why. Maybe it's because there are statues everywhere, always staring at us, as if we need to be sorry for something.
Aeley stared down the empty corridor to the left, several of the open doors letting light into the hallway. Torch cradles hung on the walls, but there was little else to see, save for the tiny shards of black stone glinting in the light on the floor. She knew that to the right was more of the same. It was not a place to entertain visitors. There was no appearance to keep.
"Well, now, it's nice to have company," a woman's husky voice called from the corridor to Aeley's right. "Especially when we don't have to add you to our pens. A real, honest visit from a law-abider. Come on in, get comfortable. We don't bite. Usually."
Aeley forced a smile for the broad-shouldered warden. "Rea."
Rea stopped at Aeley's side and thrust out her hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Steward." The men following her pulled around her, all three taller than her by at least one foot length, with muscular bodies under leather armour. She nodded at the guards. "Don't mind them. They follow me everywhere. Comes with the job, not that I mind," she said, winking and leaning forward, her voice lowered. "Makes being warden a little more fun. So much better-looking than what we've got working in the hole out there, and a hundred times nicer to talk to."
"I can imagine," Aeley murmured. She wrapped her hand around Rea's forearm, clutching her jaws shut when Rea squeezed her arm tight. Don't look surprised. She was a guard here once. Can't be dainty and weak in a place like this. Just smile like you want to be here. With a glimpse at Lira, she took a breath and relaxed. Not doing it alone made a difference, more than she wanted to admit. "Thank you for receiving us personally."
"Always. Can't ever say I'm a poor mistress," Rea said, a genuine smile spreading across her tanned face. "Well then, Aeley Dahe, visiting me. We should consider ourselves lucky, boys. She's the well-behaved one. Shouldn't give us a Goddess's pinch of trouble. Met your father once or twice. Nice guy. Did good things. Earned respect honestly. It's a real shame he's left us."
"Thanks," Aeley muttered, flexing her muscles to ease the pressure of Rea's fingertips.
Rea tousled her short, red hair. "What I can I offer you? I'd say come on in to my office and we'll have a meal, trade some stories. But nine guesses says this isn't a social call, and the tenth is hoping for a drink because I'm bored today. Can't sit still, even if the Council paid me better." Her gaze shifted to Lira. "Or maybe this is a social call, except you're dressed too pretty to be here. Maybe we should get you changed into something ugly and filthy, so the men keep their tongues in their heads."
Lira opened her mouth to respond, but Aeley stopped her, raising one hand to her chest. "We're here for an interrogation," Aeley replied.
"Oh?" Rea pouted, though the corners of her eyes crinkled. Her lips slid into a grin. "Shame it's all business. Luckily, we love interrogations, too. And I'm sure I don't even have to guess at who it is. Some snide little coward of a man you just happen to be related to, you poor, poor girl. I'm right, aren't I?"
"If he's still alive, then yes."
"Ah, good. Gives us some reason to heckle him some more. He knows how to test everyone's patience. Don't know how you managed
him." Rea motioned to her guards. "Bring Allon up. And don't bother making him look nice. She doesn't care." The men were down the hall and around a corner before she spoke again. "Come on. Follow me," she instructed, leading them down the same hall she had come up. When she stopped and raised her arm through an open doorway, Aeley obeyed and pulled Lira into the small room lit by a single torch.
Rea pointed to the table in the middle of the room: simple, and accompanied by three chairs. "Have a seat. He'll be coming along shortly, assuming he doesn't have to be subdued. Sometimes he needs the extra encouragement."
Rattling filled the hallway, followed by the sound of clanging metal and loud voices.
"Just stay here where it's safe. I'll be back. And I'll bring something tasty. We'll toast to your father," Rea said before rushing out of the room.
"I can't believe you volunteered to join me here," Aeley muttered to Lira and dragged her heel across the stone floor. Four guards hustled passed the room, but only one acknowledged them, his dark expression almost a scowl.
Lira sat in one of the chairs and stretched her legs. "It's a long ride."
Yelling voices filled the hall, the words hard to understand. A prisoner giving them trouble, Aeley supposed, wondering if it was Allon. Some of that encouragement she mentioned, perhaps?
A dirt-covered man in dark, torn clothing entered the room, the chain shackled to his ankles dragging along the stone. He held his head low, staring at his hands, bandaged and unchained. Two guards guided him from behind, pushing him to the single chair on the other side of the table. They barked and swatted his head when he hesitated.
Behind them, the noise in the hall continued. For a moment, Aeley wondered if they had the wrong man.
"Nice to see you, Aeley, or at least your feet. Still dressing like a man, are we? Maybe even raided my clothing, seeing as all of it's apparently yours, or so I'm told."
"Allon," Aeley greeted through clenched teeth. When he raised his head, she could see him clearly, even with dirt caked on his skin. His skin was darker, but not just from the sun. He was bruised, with his nose disjointed and his grin missing a tooth. "I'm glad to see someone pummeled you."
A Question of Counsel Page 8
